Bill Mahoney was born in Sydney in 1952 and moved with family to the South Coast of NSW in 1984 to establish a glass studio that would have as its goal to design and handcraft all products sold in the studio.
Design and construction of leadlight windows was the starting point but soon developed into the exciting Stained Glass extension upon the purchase of an old school-hand kiln that would propel the work into new and fulfilling areas such as ecclesiastical work – new and restoration – and developing skills to add hand painted and kiln fired detail to commission work.
Glass fusing had just surfaced onto the Art Glass arena with a range of compatible glasses that, with the use of kilns and other equipment, be able to extend the current boundaries and uncouple the imagination.
After completing 10 years as a resident glass artist in Mogo (1985 – 94), Bill relocated to his present Studio in Batemans Bay, where he still conducts his classes.
The exhibit of mirrors today shows what commenced 1985 – 96 with realization that leadlight construction techniques were a perfect platform for a high quality, timber framed range of wall mirrors to add to his gift range available from Mogo Studio and beyond – Crisp Gallery, Chiswell Furniture located in Meyers Brookvale & a number of Harvey Norman stores in Sydney plus of course other galleries over the career.
The website www.desiredglass.com.au home page shows Bill finishing off one of three commissioned pieces (fused, carved & painted Dolphin round panel, a painted kangaroo & cocky desert theme panel plus a mirror ‘Desert Falls’ depicting a waterfall flowing down an escarpment. This important series of work was shipped to La Range Hotel in Iceland in 2007.
For over 30 years Bill has been supplying glass used in fabrication of his windows, to have professionally silvered (mirrored) ending up with a reasonably extensive range of coloured and textured mirror sheet glass.
The outcome of a the range of mirrors today reflects all of the past influences, inspirations and studio techniques, with great anticipation in what lies ahead ‘to be taken away to where I am going’.
‘Elegance and Flair in Glass’ – Bill Mahoney
Major training undertakings:
·37 years of professional experience – to date!
·Lutz Haufschild – Architectural Glass Design – Sydney 1988
·Patty Robinson – Brush Technique – Sydney approx. 1990
·Narcissus Quadliata – Painting with Glass – Perth 2011
·Klaus Moje & Kirstie Rea – ‘a Line into the Future 2’ Canberra Glassworks 2013
·Masahiro Asaka – ‘Harmonising the Joy & Logic in the Cold Shop’ Canberra Glassworks 2013 Professional workshop
